By Laurence Bry
Driving south from my home in Aix-en-Provence into the Camargue, the change in landscape is surprisingly fast as the giant plane trees and windswept pines of Provence are replaced by the flat marshlands and fine sandy beaches of the Rhone River Delta.
Not only does the landscape change but so does the culture. Exit Provence’s lavender charms, enter its cowboy country. This is Texas à la française, 300 square miles of sparsely populated marshland home to local cowboys known as gardians and ranchers called manadiers, along with otters, muskrats, flamingos, horses, and bulls.
The Camargue is also temporary home to several hundred species of migratory birds. It’s a dreamscape for ornithologist though you don’t need to be a hardcore birdwatcher to enjoy a day out in two parks:Marais du Vigueirat and the Parc Ornithologique. Clearly marked nature trails, wooden boardwalks and observatories allow visitors to the park to wander at their own pace. Spring and late autumn are the best times to see the egrets, herons, storks and other migratory birds. July and August have visual appeal as well, but with it comes stifling heat, blood-thirsty mosquitoes, and an influx of visitors.
Local tour operators offer rides through the wetlands in 4-wheel drive vehicles, however the best way to enjoy the landscape and the wildlife is on horseback.
The Camargue horse
The local Camargue horse is a unique breed. The horses are only about 13 or 14 hands, which is closer to the size of a pony. These sturdy rugged-legged horses are born dark brown or black and progressively lighten after the age of three, eventually turning grey then white.
The breed is hearty enough to cope with tortuous heat in the summer and blustery cold days in winter. In fact, they are never stabled. They are always in the fields unless they are ready to be saddled up for a ride.
They are extremely agile and very much at ease with water. As a rider, I find that one of the most exciting parts about riding in the Camargue is cantering along the beach or splashing in and out of ponds, something that is not only permitted but encouraged.
Finding a stable
Stables are easy enough to find since they dot D570, the main road running south from Arles towards Saintes Maries de la Mer, but the trick is to find a good one. At some facilities, I’ve had the impression that the horses aren’t receiving the best of care. A complete list of stables is available on the Saintes Maries de la Mer website, www.saintesmaries.com.
It’s important to look for the French Equestrian Federation logo (FFE- Fédération Française d’Equitation) when selecting a place to ride. After trying a number of stables I’ve found my favorite in Les Cabanes de Cacharel, an accredited facility that’s owned by a young couple from the region who clearly adore their animals.
The property has two cabanes de gardians. That’s the name of the traditional homes in the Camargue built using local reeds and clay. Built for cowboys, fisherman and shepherds alike, such homes are positioned with their back to the mistral wind, which can blow any month of the year at speeds that often exceed 80 or 90 km/hour (or 50 – 55 mph). During winter months the wind can be bitterly cold. (I may have gotten accustomed to Provencal temperatures over the year but as a Canadian I still recognize bitter cold when I feel it.)
Saddling up
Depending on your level of experience, the owner or staff at the better stables will select the animal that will be the best tempered for your needs and experience as a rider. There’s also a size issue: because Camargue horses are a small breed, visitors weighing over 90 kilos or 198 lbs are discouraged from riding.
Camargue-style stirrups resemble those worn by the conquistadors. Whereas some completely close in the toe, others are made of ornate wrought iron. Camargue saddles resemble Western-style saddles, so English-style riders will find them slightly uncomfortable. It took me some getting used to flopping around on the saddle, but I now appreciate this looser way of riding and now find it a far more enjoyable, especially in this region. Rather than focusing on heels down, tips in, back straight, reigns tight, the Camargue saddle puts you in a better position and frame of mind to take in the scenery.
One of the pleasures of returning to the Camargue frequently is the ways in which the landscape and the wildlife are different each time I go. I’ve ridden on days where the fog was so thick it was hard to guess the location of the guide, but the horses knew where to go. It feels magical to ride in near obscurity while listening to the calls of birds.
I’ve also ridden on the crispest sunny day where I could see miles of sea lavender and tamarisk surrounding the lagoons. And I’ve been on walks when the wind was so fierce that the birds couldn’t hear us approaching. We literally crept up on flocks of flamingos with their marvellous pink plumage. When they finally spotted us they took off only to land but a short distance away. Flamingos are often chosen as the poster bird to represent the Camargue, so I was surprised the first time I came across storks sitting in giant nests atop the few tall trees in the region.
But whenever I come the most enjoyable part is riding on an otherwise empty beach and wading into the water. There’s a sense of freedom then that I’ve come to associate with the Camargue.
Useful links and Information
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the main town in the Camargue, www.saintesmaries.com
Arles, the gateway to the Camargue, Arles Tourist Office
Camargue Regional Park, www.parc-camargue.fr
Les Marais du Vigueirat, protected marshland and natural reserves, www.marais-vigueirat.reserves-naturelles.org
Parc Ornithologique, a zoological park and ornithological reserve, www.parcornithologique.com
Les Cabanes de Cacharel, www.cabanesdecacharel.com
Food note
The gardians can be seen rounding up the bulls (tauraux) that are raised for the Courses Camarguaises, a local version of bullfighting in which white-clad raseteurs try to grab a cockade ribbon from the horns of bulls.
The bulls are also raised for their meat. Local restaurants offer daube de tauraux (bull stew) in which the long-cooked meat becomes incredibly tender just like a boeuf bourgignon. Saussison de tauraux (dry bull sausage) is another local specialty.
The marshland of the Camargue is also France’s major rice-growing region.
Laurence Bry is a Canadian living in Aix-en-Provence. She operates Provence Confidential, a concierge service assiting travelers visiting Provence.